Finally

When I first watched the movie, I thought that this movie wasn’t similar to other Filipino movies. The movie was funny and the good thing about that is that it’s not corny unlike other Filipino movies. I don’t think La Visa Loca is a comedy, though. Even if the movie was funny, it contains messages that reflect to different things like being a Filipino. In terms of technicality, the movie is great also because of the devices and things used to shoot the movie. In other Filipino movies, the mouth of the actors does not synchronize with the words that they’re saying. Sometimes the voice comes out first before they even open their mouths. In La Visa Loca, it is clearly seen and heard that the mouths and voices synchronize. In short, it was a great film.

There are many points, facts and lessons that the story wants us to realize. Filipinos often want to go abroad to work because they think that the income there is higher than here in the Philippines. Other Filipinos want to go abroad just to have fun. But other Filipinos go abroad to escape. What are they escaping? They’re escaping the problems that they face here in our country. Problems in the country or personal problems. They can all be reasons to leave the country. I think Jess Huson wanted to leave because he wanted to leave his burden.

I have seen so many symbols and metaphors in this movie. The first obvious symbol/metaphor is the color of the clothes that Jess wears. It’s all color red. Although he doesn’t wear red in some parts, he wore it in almost every scene. When he was still a kid, he wore a red sando. When he became old, he wore a red polo. When the movie progresses, he wore more red clothing. He even put a red robe when he became the one who’s going to be crucified. I think the red symbolizes Jess’ problem and when he wore the red robe and stripped it out of him by the gladiator-looking-dude, I thought that it symbolized that his problems are finally gone because he’s going to Florida. But after that, he wore a red polo again maybe because he was confused if he’s still going to leave to Florida or stay in the Philippines and take care of his dad, Rufa Mae and his son. In the later part of the movie, Jess saw his mom, who can’t stop mocking and insulting Filipinos when in fact that she’s also a Filipino. Jess is now even more confused because he thinks that he might be just like his mom who insults Filipinos. Another symbol that I saw is the singing. I think that it symbolizes Jess’ head. Another idea is that the singing people are just narrators of the story but they narrate in another way. But I think that my idea of the singing people is Jess’ head is more correct than just being narrators because the singing people doesn’t say the thoughts of other people. He even talked to one when he persuades his father to be crucified for the sake of his VISA. Like in the novel “Getting Better”, the story is narrated in a different way like the narrator is the main character’s subconscious. People really talk to themselves when they have problems or something.

For me, Jess Huson is comparable to Karen in “Getting Better” when she was still bombarded with problems because they both listen to their subconscious minds, I think Jess doesn’t have a healthy relationship with his wife like Karen. Rufa Mae Quinto’s character could be comparable to Karen when she got better because Rufa Mae’s character also had problems before but eventually got better and lived to be a mermaid in some carnival to be able to feed and enable her son to go to school.

The PHILLIT class is great because I really thought that Philippine literature is boring, unlike other literature not made by Filipinos but when I took this class and read some literature written by Filipinos in English, I thought that the stories are great. I thought that most Philippine literature are like Filipino movies. Corny, dull and predictable. But when I read the stories, they’re everything but corny, dull and predictable. It can be boring sometimes to read Philippine literature that has so many details but feels like nothing is happening. In this class, I learned about things and elements in the story like foreshadowing and stuff. I also learned that everything the author puts in the story has a reason. PHILLIT class is really worth taking because students can really learn so much about it.

a good "Dan Brown wannabe" story

The story “Smaller and Smaller Circles” is a nice crime fiction story because it really keeps the reader thinking of who the culprit is. The only thing that is disappointing is that i thought that there will be a big twist in the end like it's Father Emil who did the killings or something like that but there isn't. When they found out the suspect was, it turns out that he really was the suspect. I thought that there would be really a big twist in the end. After reading so much of Dan Brown's books, my mind was set that there will be a twist. F. H. Bacatan's way of writing is somewhat similar to Dan Brown's. But despite that disappointment, it was great.

The story has so much signs and symbols in it like the scar on Father Saenz, Father Saenz wearing a jacket before he got up with a fight with the culprit, etc. There are also some weird things in this story like the two main characters being priests, not having the element of sex in this story unlike other crime fiction story, one of the priests having a rockstar look, etc. Although these are weird elements, the author intended to put those in the story, meaning that these elements has a meaning. Maybe the main characters are priests because people think that priests don't have lives outside the church, they pray all the time, and does not leave the church. Maybe one priest has a rockstar look because people think that priests only listen to church music and gregorian chants and some other religious music and they never listen to punk rock music. I know that priests do have lives outside the church but what shocked me is that i never thought that the lives of the priests outside the church can be so extreme like solving a murder case and doing some forensic stuff. As for the passion for music, i know that priests also listen to other music but i never thought that they would listen to rock music.

The story , despite that it can be disappointing to some readers and having some weird elements, it's still a good movie. Like the movie “Seven”, the killer was never revealed until Kevin Spacey showed up. The watchers would have never guessed that he, the photographer, was the killer, but it was a good movie. The story is also like that because the killer was never revealed until they had a lead of who did the killings. Maybe it just depends on the reader if “Smaller and smaller Circles” is a good story.

It just got better

The story “Getting Better” is a great story and people who have similar problems as Karen had could really relate to it because this kind of situation happens in the real world. And most people who experience this kind of problems do what Karen did. It’s more like a guidebook for people who just had their love life messed up than a story of a person who had her love life messed up. After all, the author of this book is a written in Cosmopolitan, so maybe that’s why it reads like a guidebook so that it’s easier to relate to.

In this story there are so many scenes where they have sex. I didn’t know that it happens. For me, I don’t think what they do is right. They had a relationship and have sex all the time. The guy even proposed while having sex when it’s supposed to happen if the guy has a ring and uh.. not while having sex. Then the guy suddenly happens to have sex with his fiancé’s friend. In short, he was never serious about his fiancé. He was never serious of proposing. All he wanted was sex. Even when the girl was so irritated to the guy, they ended up having sex for the last time before they really broke up. It’s all about sex, which irritates me because I don’t think they’re doing that until they are married because I think that if they really love each other, they won’t be disrespecting themselves. If they really love each other, they can wait for the really special and right moment to have sex and I think that time would be after the marriage. It just irritates me because the look and thought of having sex with the one you love before getting married just isn’t right. But that’s just me.

Despite the sex parts in the story, I liked it. I also thought that only women can relate to this story but I was wrong. A good story for me is that I don’t get bored, and the plot’s good. It was really nice reading this and maybe what the author did of having the second person point of view tell the story is good because it’s different and it just makes the story more entertaining because it doesn’t make the story dull like other stories. These kinds of stories are either extinct or a new breed of story.

the power at the palm of HIS hands

I think sweet summer and the wedding are stories that tell the readers about some discriminations happening to women in terms of authority because in both stories, the men are the ones who are in authority (at least in sweet summer because the guy in the wedding had a stroke). The man (older brother) in the story “Sweet Summer” told his younger brother why he’s dating that ugly girl. Then he told his brother to follow him so that he can introduce his brother to the real chicks. In that story, the older brother sets his young brother’s mind to not go out with ugly girls. It’s like men tell who they should go out with. The husband in the story “The Wedding” is the bossy type who restricts his wife to go out and party. Women don’t like that much because all people want freedom but women can’t do anything because they’re afraid of their husbands.

Here in the real world, discrimination really happens. Discrimination between races, skin colors, sex, job, sickness, and even in physical appearance. Terms like “nigger”, “a man’s job” and “bitch” are all parts of discrimination. Some people don’t even know that they’re discriminating people, which is bad for them also because they might be in trouble. But in the story, the discrimination is in between men and women. Men always come far more superior than women in most stories. In most stories, they have elements like the damsel in distress and men will always rescue them.

The most simple and possible solution to discrimination that could happen is to be careful of what people say to each other.

the power at the palm of HIS hands

I think sweet summer and the wedding are stories that tell the readers about some discriminations happening to women in terms of authority because in both stories, the men are the ones who are in authority (at least in sweet summer because the guy in the wedding had a stroke). The man (older brother) in the story “Sweet Summer” told his younger brother why he’s dating that ugly girl. Then he told his brother to follow him so that he can introduce his brother to the real chicks. In that story, the older brother sets his young brother’s mind to not go out with ugly girls. It’s like men tell who they should go out with. The husband in the story “The Wedding” is the bossy type who restricts his wife to go out and party. Women don’t like that much because all people want freedom but women can’t do anything because they’re afraid of their husbands.

Here in the real world, discrimination really happens. Discrimination between races, skin colors, sex, job, sickness, and even in physical appearance. Terms like “nigger”, “a man’s job” and “bitch” are all parts of discrimination. Some people don’t even know that they’re discriminating people, which is bad for them also because they might be in trouble. But in the story, the discrimination is in between men and women. Men always come far more superior than women in most stories. In most stories, they have elements like the damsel in distress and men will always rescue them.

The most simple and possible solution to discrimination that could happen is to be careful of what people say to each other.

The tale of Wonder Woman and her new enemy: "Two Face"

I think that “The Tale of the Spinster and Peter Pan” is a story that only women may relate to because the main character here is a woman who always dreams of a perfect guy to spend their lives with. Maybe the woman was surprised with the nature of Joel because in her young teenager days, that seldom or never happen.

This incident where the guy wants something else besides companionship now frequently happens especially in bars. Women who were being persuaded by these kinds of men also frequently gives in maybe because they just want to do “it”.

I think that the things these men are doing is wrong because they remove the sacredness of having sex with the ones you love. They just do it like another hobby. I always thought that making love to another girl can only be done and is always done by married couples, who are both dedicated and loyal to each other. They do that to show their love physically. But these men who pick women in bars and these women who gives in to the persuasions of these men are sick. They only do it because they want to do it. Nothing more, nothing less. Some don’t even use condoms and stuff. They just keep doing it until they realize that they have AIDS or something then they’ll regret the things they did. But that’s them. I can’t control them not to have sex with women they never ever met before.

Most people like Joel have two faces. One face, the good face, is shown on the public to raise their popularity and maybe to be cool also. The other face, the real face, is shown only on their closest friends and relatives. Sometimes they don’t even show them. The real face can be good or bad depending on the person. Like all our presidents, they don’t show that they’re corrupt. They even let the media get the good shots like when they’re shaking hands with the poor and show it to the public. That’s “showing the good face” in action. Very few people are true to the public. That fact is so sad.

The advice I can think of to the women, who often get persuaded by men to have sex or something, is to do what the old woman in the story did. Walk out of it.

The advice I can think of to the people who has two faces, show the real you. I always see the ads on commercials to be yourself but they just don’t listen.

the sad things in life

I've seen so many differences between the previous stories that I've read. The language is a bit simpler than the previous ones. If I compare the writings of Manuel Arguilla and Noelle de Jesus, I'd say that the style that Noelle used is a simple one. The words are not as complicated as the ones used by Manuel Arguilla. The setting in most of the previous writings are set in a barrio, a poor town, or any other rural areas. In the modern writings that I've read, the setting is in a city. The use of technology in the modern writings can be clearly seen, unlike in the previous writings. In short, I find the modern writings more likable than the previous writings. The main characters don't have names in the modern writings.

The story “Games” are not what I have expected. I thought that it was just a regular game that i know. But when I read it, i realized that it was a different kind of game the story was talking about. The girl in the story can be so irritating because of the game she has planned. Too bad she lost it when she was lost and said a name that is different from the other names she used before. I think Beth, the name the girl used, had a past with the guy. I even think that Beth was the ex-girlfriend that the two couple saw. Their relationship is so messed up that they do “it” but they don't have a commitment to each other. The guy never even said the name of the girl. They just do “it” because they want to do it. Nothing more, nothing less. They still love each other. The only odd thing in their relationship is that their love isn't deep enough for them to be doing the things that normal couples normally do when they truly, deeply love each other.

The story “Document”, which was confusing the first time I read it, wasn't that confusing when I listened to the facilitator. The story was sad because the conflict was all in the guy. His brain confuses him because it tells him that if he takes the risk of giving up their friendship can ruin the whole thing and can have the possibility that they may never talk again. His heart tells him that he loves him. The problem is that his brain and his heart are the ones in conflict. The girl, on the other hand, also made the situation worse for the guy because the guy doesn't know if the short store she made was a sign for him saying “hey, I'm here. Please don't avoid me” or possibly “hey, i want to disappear from your life”. It's also possible that the girl really just wrote the story because she just wanted to and she don't mean any sign. The guy is so confused because when the landlady and his close friends tell that he's in love with her, he says that it's not exactly true. Why would he say EXACTLY? If it isn't true, he could just say that it's not true. But he didn't. That could meant that he wasn't just in love with the girl. It could mean that he's deeply in love so much with the girl. But then again, the guy wants to play safe. That's what makes it sad. His heart doesn't give the courage to take risks and his brain tells him to play safe. In the end, his brain was the one that won.

The side I didn't know

The story “Love in the Cornhusks”, “The Virgin”, “The Corral” and “Magnificence” are all written by female writers. Unlike the previous stories I’ve read, which were written by male authors, these stories focus more on relationships, lust and the lives that are experienced by people. These stories are interesting because they were written in the perspective of the feminine side. All of the main characters here are female characters. Also the female characters here are livelier than the previous stories that I’ve read. They are now active characters here. They’ve been the supporting characters in the previous stories but now they’re the main characters. The men in the stories written by the female authors are now the supporting characters.

I’ve also noticed that the men in these stories are pervert. All of these stories have sex in some parts. I noticed that the female writers focus on sex more than the other stories I’ve read like midsummer.

These stories also tell what the women are experiencing at that time. Having a baby from another man, being molested, raped, etc. they still happen everyday.

The last two stories, “The Corral” and “Magnificence”, are slightly different from the two previous because in these stories the authors show how the women can still show their toughness even though there are so many problems they encounter. In the story “The Corral”, the main character likes this handsome, macho lumberjack so much. The problem is that the guy wants everything except love. The other guy who likes the main character, Mr. Perfecto, is a fat ugly principal but has a good personality. Mr. Perfecto has been courting the main character for so many years. In short, Mr. Perfecto is the perfect man not because of his physical qualities, but because of his characteristics. I think in the end, the girl married Mr. Perfecto and lived happily ever after.

“Magnificence” is also a good story that displays the qualities of a good parent because in the story, the mother saw the bus driver molesting her little daughter. If she was an ordinary parent, she’d go berserk. But she didn’t. She even managed to tell her son and daughter to go outside. She has a lot of patience and self-control.

I can say that women are also strong. Maybe even stronger than I thought. I didn’t know that they are all capable of doing such things. Be it allowing themselves to be raped, containing their primal side, choosing the right man, etc. Those are all difficult things to do. And now I know that the women are not to be underestimated.

Difficulties

he story �Bread of Salt� mainly focuses on the 14 year old boy who realizes so many things while time passes by. The 14 year old boy wants to impress this one girl so he did many things to make himself recognizable especially by the girl he wants. All is going well. He was even invited to a party thrown by the father of the girl of his dreams. He and his band performed quite well. When he was eating this type of food, which he probably tasted for the first time, he intended to get and keep some. When the 14 year old boy and the girl saw each other, the food that the boy stole suddenly fell, which is so embarrassing. There he realized that it can't work out with them. he's just a local while she's a royal blood. He'

s poor while she's rich. The 14 year old boy realizes that the world is much more complicated than he would have expected. He now knows that life isn't that easy. He now knows that even if love conquers all, somethings are still existing that conquering isn't enough. The boy's maturing, coming of age. Now he just wanted to move on and face the real world that has yet to be revealed at him all at once. I think that the story tells us about the experiences that people feel. It's like you can't learn it that much until you have experienced to fail it.

The story �May Day Eve� tells us about the past of two people who at first are enemies who eventually became lovers. Agueda, the girl, heard that at midnight on the month of May, when she looks into the mirror and says some incantations, she'll see her husband. She was still young and somewhat rebellious. She did look at the mirror suddenly the time changed to the present. Her little daughter asked what her mother saw in the mirror. Agueda said that he saw the devil. The devil had some things common to her husband. She was just thinking of the past where at that moment she saw Badoy, teasing her. She just thought that Badoy was just probably toying with her because she's just a girl from the province while Badoy's an illustrado. She bit badoy in the hand and ran away. Even if she hated badoy for that, she fell in love. And so did Badoy. Badoy swore that he'll have his revenge. So at the boat going from antipolo, both Badoy and Agueda was present. After that, the time suddenly changes again and this time, the time was more advanced. Agueda's daughter was now a mother and has a son named Voltaire. Badoy saw Voltaire staring at the mirror at midnight and asked what Voltaire was doing. Voltaire said the same tale about the husband/wife thing. Voltaire was frightened that he might see the witch but because the time was 1890, and at that time, it was modern, he didn't believe in witches anymore. But Badoy said to Voltaire that he himself saw a witch, Voltaire remembered that her Grandma saw a devil. He thought that maybe that's the reason why her Grandma died. Badoy cried.

I think that May Day Eve's Agueda was the witch that Badoy was referring to and Badoy was the devil that Agueda was talking about. They really went together and married. Agueda said Badoy was a devil and Agueda, the witch, because many people see their wives and husbands only their good sides at the first few years, and after that, they'll see the bad side. Maybe Agueda really died because of Badoy probably because he lost temper and beat her to death. Maybe that's why he was crying. Maybe that's what he was regretting all the time. When we have something precious, you won't really realize how precious and important it was until you have lost it.